Golf Queensland History
Golf Queensland Limited was created after the members of the Queensland Golf Union (QGU) and Women's Golf Queensland (WGQ) passed motions to amalgamate in 2007.
The two organisations had been working collaboratively in anumber of areas in the years leading up to the ‘unification' - most noticeably through the joint venture company that owned and ran the State Training Facility located at Brookwater Golf Club.
In the time before the formation of Golf Queensland Limited it became increasing apparent to the Management Committees of the QGU and WGQ that the organisations would need to amalgamate in order to reap the benefits of continued government funding, efficiencies created by ending role duplication, and economies of scale by combining themembership bases.
After the retirement of long serving QGU Executive Director Tony Rollins and a standing vacancy for the WGQ Executive Director theManagement Committees of the QGU and WGQ appointed Stephen Pitt in April 2006 to the role of CEO for both organisations to help the transition to a unified body.
The motion to amalgamate the bodies had failed just the week before when the members at the WGQ AGM unanimously agreed to amalgamate but the members at the QGU AGM, while in favour of amalgamation, could not agree to the proposed model. Following the Queensland Golf Industry Conference in June 2006 the two Management Committees acted on the feedback they had received and began to consider a different unification model.
In September 2006 the QGU and WGQ Management Committees held a joint meeting facilitated by strategic management consultant Peter Phair to create a model that would be acceptable to the members of both organisations. Presentations were made to a variety of stakeholders regarding the new model,and a number of drafts of the new Constitution were made before the final version was distributed along with the motion to be voted on at the AGMs. On 30 March 2007 the members of the QGU and WGQ passed motions to amalgamate.
On 4 April 2007 Women's Golf Queensland determined that Carmel Smith, Val Johnston and Tricia Harding would be its representatives to be part of the inaugural Golf Queensland Board. On 29 May 2007 the Queensland Golf Union determined that Tom Crothers, Barry Shepherd and Peter Castrisos would be its representatives to be part of the inaugural Golf Queensland Board.
The Golf Queensland Board elect met on 5 July 2007 to discuss a number of important issues for the new entity including the Committee types and structure, Chair of the Board, the Strategic Plan, the new company logo, and Policy and Procedures. Tom Crothers was appointed as the inaugural President of Golf Queensland. Committees formed were the Match Committee, the Club and Game Development Committee, the High Performance Committee, and the Technical Committee.
Golf Queensland Limited was registered as a company limited by guarantee on 27 July 2007 and began trading on 6 September 2007. The finalised operating model meant that all fourteen (14) men's and seven (7)women's District Associations were now members of Golf Queensland with voting rights based on the number of affiliated golfers for each district. The new company remained based at the offices in Bowen Hills owned by the respective former organisations. All eight staff from the QGU and WGQ continued with thenew company. The first official Board meeting was held on 2 August 2007.
On 6 October 2007 Delegates representing the member DistrictAssociations met with the Golf Queensland Board and staff to formulate a Strategic Plan for the new operating entity. Over the following months the planwas finalised with input from Queensland golf clubs and golfers.
Lyn Hughes was appointed to the Golf Queensland Board inJuly 2008 in the place of Val Johnston who sadly passed away in late 2007. Jamie Shine was appointed as an independent director in July 2008.